teaching file 2 History and vigilance visit the European Centre on Resistance and Deportation Y13 and over Dear Teachers and Assistants, This file is designed to accompany your pupils in their visit to the European Centre on Resistance and Deportation and to the site of the former Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp. By tracing back through the history of Europe from 1919 to the present time, it proposes, with as guides the commitment against Nazism and the fight for freedom during the 30’s and 40’s, vigilance against any xenophobic, racist and anti-Semitic shift and ideology today. It encourage the reflection and involvement of each person, of each young future citizen that you bring here, in a process which is both collective and personal: what does it mean to live together? The European Centre is therefore a gateway, providing historical information and analysis keys before the visit to the historical site of the former Natzweiler camp. The visit to the historical site will then be completed by the visit to the museum, dedicated to the history of the camp and its 70 external Kommandos. Teaching file 1 is also proposed by downloading from www.struthof.fr: What is a concentration camp? the KL-Natzweiler This file is intended for middle-school and high-school students. Most of the answers to the questions posed can be found in the European Centre exhibition spaces (touch terminals, films, permanent exhibition), and some in the museum located inside the former camp. Questions beyond the scope of the exhibition? … as an invitation to reflect and broaden your knowledge! (indicated by this font ) … So do not hesitate to also use this file in class to prepare or complete your visit. The questions will be tackled both chronologically and by theme. You are recommended to work through the file from start to finish We thank you for your interest in this document. Please do not distribute it without mentioning your source! Information: +33 (0)3 88 47 44 52 or 58 and [email protected] Direction régionale des Anciens combattants et victimes de guerre d’Alsace (Alsace regional administration of War Veterans and War Victims) 2 CONTENTS Agents and players in the oppression 6 1 Establishment of totalitarian regimes in Europe 6 Italy Germany 7 2 European relays 9 Belgium Romania France Elsewhere in Europe 10 3 The instruments of oppression Propaganda and racism 11 Civilian policies of the Reich from 1936 12 The concentration and extermination camps 13 The final solution (Endlösung) 14 Commit, resist and fight 15 4 Say no before the start of the conflict Alert public opinion The political commitment 16 Religious commitments 17 5 The war, 1939-1942 18 6 The end of the war: victory changes camp, 1943-45 20 7 The resistance Civilian resistance Organised resistance 21 The armed fight 23 8 Repression 24 Torture and executions Deportation and extermination 26 3 From history to memory 28 9 The liberations German capitulation Discovery of the camps Dignity restored 29 The memory 10 From the Nuremberg Tribunal to the International Criminal Court 30 The notion “crime against humanity” Nuremberg witnesses 32 Franco-German reconciliation 33 European construction 34 The Council of Europe (COE) 35 The European Union 36 From cooperation to integration 37 Transmission of memory 38 Vigilance and citizenship 39 11 The commitment after the war 12 Be vigilant, today, what for? 40 Peace, a precious, fragile and precarious possession The United Nations 42 4 ICONOGRAPHIC RESOURCES Unless otherwise indicated, the documents presented are those of the exhibitions and multimedia of the European Centre on Resistance and Deportation and the Struthof museum. They are therefore used here for documentary purposes to simplify the visit. To use them in another context you must obtain permission from the lenders and assignees. These persons or authorities are duly mentioned in the exhibitions. Please contact them. DESIGN Valérie DRECHSLER, director European Centre on Resistance and Deportation. Magali BERLEHNER, educational organiser (until 2007). René CHEVROLET, director of educational and cultural programmes at the European Centre on Resistance and Deportation. Robert STEEGMANN, associate professor of history. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cyrille LE QUELLEC, Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Déportation (Foundation for the Memory of the Deportation) This file of 43 numbered pages is provided free of charge for visitors by downloading in .pdf format and on line via to accompany the visit to the Centre and the historic site. 5 Agents and players in the oppression 1 Establishment of totalitarian regimes in Europe Italy Outline the political situation in Italy in 1919. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. “We are a voluntary militia at the service of the ………………………………………………………. nation, we will be with the State and for the State Who was Mussolini? whenever it acts scrupulously as the custodian, ………………………………………………………. defender and promoter of our national traditions, ………………………………………………………. national feeling and national will; capable of ………………………………………………………. imposing its will at any price. We will replace the What did he found in the aftermath of the First World War? State every time it finds itself incapable of taking on and fighting, without disastrous indulgence, the ………………………………………………………. causes and effects of internal crumbling of the ………………………………………………………. principles of national solidarity. We will be beside the ………………………………………………………. State if it should fall into the hands of those who Why? threaten the country and the life of the nation”. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Manifesto of the Partito nazionale fascista Who was the leader of the NFP? (National Fascist Party), ………………………………………………………. 23 November 1921. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. In this text, what makes Fascism appear as a conservative doctrine? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Find this photograph in the exhibition. What does it symbolise? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Who is the person wearing a tie in the front? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. What happened after this event? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. 6 Germany What does the title of this book mean? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Who is the author? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Under what circumstances was it written? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. What ideology does it develop? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Who are the two men on the photograph opposite? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. When did HITLER become Chancellor of Germany? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Which party did he lead? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. How did Hitler come into power? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Why do we speak of the 3rd Reich after HITLER came to power? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. 7 What event happened after the decree of 23 February 1933? Decree of the President of the Reich ………………………………………………………. for defence of the people and the State, ………………………………………………………. 28 February 1933. ………………………………………………………. (Verordnung des Reichspräsidenten zum Read the text and indicate: Schutz von Volk und Staat) (extracts). the type of document: ………………………………………………………. In virtue of paragraph 2, article 48, of the Reich ………………………………………………………. Constitution, the following is decreed as a ………………………………………………………. defensive measure against communist acts of violence, endangering the State: the context: ………………………………………………………. §1 ………………………………………………………. Sections 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124, and 153 ………………………………………………………. of the Constitution of the German Reich are suspended until further notice. Thus, restrictions Which fundamental rights were suspended by this decree? on personal liberty, on the right of free ………………………………………………………. expression of opinion, including freedom of the press, on the right of assembly and the right of ………………………………………………………. association, and violations of the privacy of ………………………………………………………. postal, telegraphic, and telephonic communications, and warrants for house- What for? searches, orders for confiscation as well as ………………………………………………………. restrictions on property, are also permissible ………………………………………………………. beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed... ………………………………………………………. What can you see on this photograph? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Who are “the enemies of the Reich”? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Which party becomes the “unique party” in Germany? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. W hat were the “wild camps”? W ho were they guarded by? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. What changed in the purpose of camps after the start of the Second World War, and why? ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. >>> see also page 13 8 2 European relays Belgium What is rexism? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… …………………………........................................................ Who was its leader? ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………